WonderCon is an annual

comic book A comic book, also called comicbook, comic magazine or (in the United Kingdom and Ireland) simply comic, is a publication that consists of comics art in the form of sequential juxtaposed panels that represent individual scenes. Panels are of ...

science fiction Science fiction (sometimes shortened to Sci-Fi or SF) is a genre of speculative fiction which typically deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts such as advanced science and technology, space exploration, time travel, parallel uni ...

, and

film A film also called a movie, motion picture, moving picture, picture, photoplay or (slang) flick is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, feelings, beauty, or atmospher ...

convention held in the

San Francisco Bay Area The San Francisco Bay Area, often referred to as simply the Bay Area, is a populous region surrounding the San Francisco, San Pablo, and Suisun Bay estuaries in Northern California. The Bay Area is defined by the Association of Bay Area G ...

(1987–2011), then—under the name WonderCon Anaheim—in

Anaheim, California Anaheim ( ) is a city in northern Orange County, California, part of the Los Angeles metropolitan area. As of the 2020 United States Census, the city had a population of 346,824, making it the most populous city in Orange County, the 10th-most ...

(2012–2015, 2017–present), and WonderCon Los Angeles in 2016."WonderCon Moves To Anaheim With Costumed Avengers In Tow,"
CBS 2 San Francisco (March 17, 2012). The convention returned to the

Anaheim Convention Center The Anaheim Convention Center is a major convention center in Anaheim, California and is the largest exhibition facility on the West Coast of the United States. It is located across from the Disneyland Resort on Katella Avenue. The original co ...

in 2017 after a one-year stint in Los Angeles due to construction at the Anaheim Convention Center. The convention was conceived by retailer John Barrett (a founder of the retail chain

Comics and Comix Comics and Comix Co. (C&C) was a comic book retailer based in Berkeley, California, that for a short time also had a publishing division. The company was founded by Bud Plant, Robert Beerbohm, and John Barrett. Comics & Comix operated from 1972 t ...

) and originally held in the Oakland Convention Center. In 2003, it moved to San Francisco's

Moscone Center The George R. Moscone Convention Center (pronounced ), popularly known as the Moscone Center, is the largest convention and exhibition complex in San Francisco, California. The complex consists of three main halls spread out across three block ...

. The show's original name was the Wonderful World of Comics Convention.

History

Retailer Joe Field (of Flying Colors Comics and Other Cool Stuff) and his partner

Mike Friedrich Mike Friedrich (; born March 27, 1949) is an American comic book writer and publisher best known for his work at Marvel and DC Comics, and for publishing the anthology series '' Star*Reach'', one of the first independent comics. He is also an a ...

owned and operated the convention for fifteen years. In 2001, they brokered a deal with the management team that runs the

San Diego Comic-Con International San Diego Comic-Con International is a comic book convention and nonprofit multi-genre entertainment event held annually in San Diego, California since 1970. The name, as given on its website, is Comic-Con International: San Diego; but it is c ...

to make it part of the

Comic-Con International San Diego Comic-Con International is a comic book convention and nonprofit multi-genre entertainment event held annually in San Diego, California since 1970. The name, as given on its website, is Comic-Con International: San Diego; but it is ...

convention family. This gave the

San Francisco San Francisco (; Spanish for " Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the fourth most populous in California and 17t ...

show a wider audience and has made it a venue for previews and early screenings of major motion pictures, in particular ones based on comic books. These have included '' Spider-Man 2'' in 2004, '' Batman Begins'' and ''

Fantastic Four The Fantastic Four is a superhero team appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The team debuted in ''The Fantastic Four'' #1 (cover dated Nov. 1961), helping usher in a new level of realism in the medium. It was the first s ...

'' in 2005, ''

Superman Returns ''Superman Returns'' is a 2006 American superhero film directed by Bryan Singer and written by Michael Dougherty and Dan Harris from a story by Singer, Dougherty and Harris based on the DC Comics character Superman. It is the sixth and fina ...

'' in 2006, '' 300'' in 2007, '' Watchmen'' in 2009, and '' Kick-Ass'' in 2010. All of these events featured the stars of the films fielding questions from the audience. WonderCon had 34,000 attendees in 2009, 39,000 in 2010, and 49,500 in 2011. The show left the Bay Area after the 2011 con, because San Francisco's

was being remodeled. The convention moved to

Anaheim Anaheim ( ) is a city in northern Orange County, California, part of the Los Angeles metropolitan area. As of the 2020 United States Census, the city had a population of 346,824, making it the most populous city in Orange County, the 10th-most ...

in 2012, and was rebranded WonderCon Anaheim. When the move to Anaheim was first announced, Comic-Con International said they would be returning to San Francisco after the Moscone Center renovations were complete; however, the convention ultimately stayed in Southern California. In 2016, a new convention started in the Bay Area, called the Silicon Valley Comic Con. WonderCon relocated from Anaheim to

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world ...

in 2016, and is now called WonderCon Los Angeles and was held March 25–27, 2016 at the

Los Angeles Convention Center The Los Angeles Convention Center is a convention center in the southwest section of downtown Los Angeles. It hosts multiple annual conventions and has often been used as a filming location in TV shows and movies. History The convention center, ...

. The 2017 edition of the convention returned to Anaheim and was held March 31 – April 2, 2017. The WonderCon logo was designed by Richard Bruning and Tim Zach. WonderCon@Home_logo

The 2020 edition of the show, scheduled for April 10–12, was cancelled due to the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identi ...

.Mancuso, Vinnie
"WonderCon 2020 Postponed Indefinitely Due to Coronavirus; No Decision Yet on San Diego Comic-Con,"
''Collider'' (MAR 12, 2020). The 2021 edition of the show, scheduled for March 26–27, was cancelled again due to the

Event history

Features and events

While the main attraction of WonderCon has always been various retailers selling back issues of comic books and action figures, the exhibitor list has grown to include retailers of specialty DVDs. There is also an "Artists Alley" featuring mainly comic book artists selling artwork, signing books, and doing sketches; and mainstream celebrities signing autographed pictures. WonderCon hosted the Harvey Award ceremonies from 1997 to 1999.Press release
"2003 Harvey Awards Banquet Cancelled, Awards Unaffected
Comic Book Resources (January 24, 2003). Since 2007, academicians and comic industry professionals have held the Comics Arts Conference in conjunction with WonderCon. In addition, WonderCon features an event called "Trailer Park," where trailers for upcoming films are shown. The WonderCon masquerade competition usually takes place on Saturday after the convention closes. Awards are given to those with the most creative performances, though anyone can participate.

References

External links

*
WonderCon feature
on '' Sidewalks Entertainment''
WonderCon founder's website
{{Multigenre conventions in North America Multigenre conventions Comics conventions in the United States Conventions in California Recurring events established in 1987 Tourist attractions in California 1987 establishments in California